Lure dislodging and retrieving device

ABSTRACT

A lure dislodging and retrieving device comprising a cylindrical weighted body having a downwardly tapering conical bore opening through top and bottom ends and a line inserting slot permitting the body to be fitted over the fishing line. The respective top and bottom end portions are provided with encircling grooves for reception and retention of top and bottom assembling and keying lips carried by yieldable flanges on the end caps. These caps are turnable and also provided with slots which can be registered with the line slot. A line wedging and releasing ball is normally lodged in the lower tapered end of the bore. Selectively usable facilities are provided on the body and top end cap for attaching the lower end of a retrieving line.

United States Patent 1191 Jarrett LURE DISLODGING AND RETRIEVING DEVICE[76] Inventor: Harry M. Jarrett, 20 Roberts Street,

Bradford, Pa. 16701 [22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 122,363

[56] I Referenees Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1953 Bress ..43/17.25/1962 Canada, Sr.... 10/1957 Taylor ..-.43/l7.2

FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,093,905 12/1967 Great Britain .43/44.9

1451 May 29,1973

Primary ExaminerF. Barry Shay Assistant Examiner-Daniel J. LeachAttorneyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A luredislodging and retrieving device comprising a cylindrical weighted bodyhaving a downwardly tapering conical bore opening through top and bottomends and a line inserting slot permitting the body to be fitted over thefishing line. The respective top and bottom end portions are providedwith encircling grooves for reception and retention of top and bottomassembling and keying lips carried by yieldable flanges on the end caps.These caps are turnable and also provided with slots which can beregistered with the line slot. A line wedging and releasing ball isnormally lodged in the lower tapered end of the bore. Selectively usablefacilities are provided on the body and top end cap for attaching thelower end of a retrieving line.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENIEQWZSIQH 135,52 0

. Fish Line Refrieving L inc v an Harry M. Jarret! IN VENTOR.

LURE DISLODGING AND RETRIEVING DEVICE This invention relates to a lurefreeing and retrieving device which can be readily attached by hand tosnagged fishing line and which is characterized, generally stated, by aweighted body, turnable top and bottom end caps, and novel selectivelyusable means for.

tapering conical passage with a restrictedend and wherein a line bindingball is employed as-a wedge and retainer for the engaged portion of thefishing line. Reference can be made, forbackground purposes, to US. Pat.Nos: 2,779,120 and 3,191,335.

Briefly, the herein disclosed retriever comprises a body having aconical'open-ended axial bore which is decreased in diameter and tapereddownwardly and has a radial fishing line inserting and removing slotcommunicating at an inner end with the bore in a manner to firstencircling'and keying groove is formed in the peripheral surface belowtop end end of the body to accommodate a top end cap which has arim-like flange constructed to yieldingly snap into position, said capbeing keyed for rotation so that the slot means therein can beregistered with or moved out of alignment with the body slot. This topend cap is provided with line attaching means and means for overlyingand blocking the upper end of the bore in a manner to maintain the ballcaptive but nevertheless operative in such bore. A second encirclingandkeying groove is formed in the peripheral surface above the plane of thebottom to accommodate an encompassing flange carriedby the bottom cap,this flange also having a line inserting and freeing slot and an opening'at the center which is lined up with the lower end of the'ballpocketing bore.

The body is made of non-corrodible metal of prescribed heaviness. Thetop and bottom caps are made of resilient material, such as plastic,rubber or equivalent material. The binding and friction retaining ballis preferably made of glass. The ball is normally lodged in the body ofthe bore. A lug having a head portion and a neck portion is carried bythe upper cap and the head portion overhangs the upper open end ofth'ebore and prevents displacement of the ball. Selectively usable meansis provided for attaching the lower end of the retrieving line in onemanner or another to the device.

The several optional ways of attachingthe retrieving line to the deviceare unique. In addition, the end caps have outstanding overhangingflange means which means function in a manner similar-to spool heads andso that theretrieving line can be wound and stored on the peripheralsurface of the spool betweenthe cap attaching and rotating flanges whennot being-used.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction" andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forminga part hereof,

wherein like numerals refer FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a luredislodging and retrieving device constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the disclosed invention and which shows the snaggedhook-equipped lure, the dislodging device and fish line and retrievingline associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale and also in perspective showingthe device itself and also showing in phantom lines how the lower end ofthe retrieving line can be tied and how a major portion can be coiledand stored when not in use;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a view with parts in section and elevation taken approximatelyon the plane of the vertical section line 4-4 of FIG. 2 looking in thedirection of the indicating arrow;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section, taken on the plane of the section line5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing how the lower endof the retrieving line can be threaded and knotted and attached to theneck portion let the line pass through the slot and into the bore. A

, keying and assembling lip '38 which is retentively but of thetongue-like lug; and

FIG. 7 is a view also in section and fragmentarily shown andillustrating how a side hole in the body can be employed as anchor meansfor the lower knotted end of the retrieving line.

Taking up first the metal liftable and lowerable body, this part isdesignated in the views by the numeral 8 and is slightly elongated,cylindrical in cross-section as shown in FIG. 5 in particular and has asmooth outer peripheral surface 10. A top or upper end portion of thebody, that is, the portion 12, is provided with an encircling and keyinggroove 14. The lower or bottom end portion 16 is similarly provided withan encircling and keying groove 18. The aforementioned axial bore whichopens through the top and bottom ends, is denoted by the numeral 20 andis of conical form, that is,

decreases in diameter and is accordingly tapered downwardly toward thebottom in a manner to define a seat 22 for a glass or an equivalent linewedging ball 24. The ball is of requisite size and is shown in itsnormal lodged position in full lines in FIG. 4 and in a slightlyelevated line releasing position in phantom lines. The aforementionedfish line is denoted by the numeral 26 and passes downwardly through thebore in a manner that a portion thereof can be bound andfriction-retained by the seated ball, as illustrated in FIG. 4. On oneside near the upper end a hole or opening is provided as at 28 and theinner end opens into the bore 20 and the outer end opens through theperipheral surface 10. The hole serves a purpose to be hereinafterdescribed.

A snap-on plastic or equivalent cap is'provided for the upper end of thebore 20 and is denoted by the numeral 30. This cap is characterized byan annular'portion 32 having spaced ends 34 defining an entrance andexit slot for the fish line 26. The body encompassing depending flangewhich is also slotted is denoted by the numeral 36 and snugly butrotatably encompasses the upper end portion 12 and is provided with atumed-in rotatably keyed in the groove 14. The aforementioned lug is anintegral part of the cap and is coplanar with the annular portion 32.This lug comprises a suitably shaped head 40 with a rounded marginaledge 42 and which is joined with a reduced neck 44 which is connected tothe inner peripheral edge 46, as is brought out particularly well inFIGS. 1 and 2. The neck is provided with a hole which extendstherethrough as at 48. One purpose of this hole, as shown in FIG. 6, isto provide one method or means of connecting the lower end portion 50 ofthe retrieving line 52 thereto. When the retrieving line is attached asshown in FIG. 6, the lower end is passed through the hole 48 and is tiedupon itself into a knot 54, thus connecting the retrieving line to thecap and with the cap attached to the grooved body. If instead offastening the retrieving line, as shown in FIG. 6, the user desires todo so, he can tie the lower end of the line about the neck 48 in themanner shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. Then too, and with referenceagain to the hole 28, it will be seen that this hold is shaped toprovide a socket and to accommodate the knotted end 56 of the retrievingline, that is, the portion 50, as brought out in FIG. 7. It follows thatthere are several ways of attaching the retrieving line, one of which isshown in phantom lines in FIG. 2, the second in FIG. 6, and a third wayin FIG. 7.

With respect now to the groove 18 and the cap .Which is associatedtherewith, that is, the bottom end cap and it is denoted by the numeral58 and it is also constructed from appropriate plastic material and themain disc-like portion is denoted at 60 and is provided centrally with ahole or opening 62 which is lined up with the bottom of the bore, thatis, the portion 62 as brought out in FIG. 4 to permit that portion ofthe associated line to pass through, as brought out in phantom lines.Here the upstanding encircling flange is of suitable width andsnugfitting diameter and is denoted at 64 and is provided with aturned-in lip 66 which is fitted into the key-way or groove 18.

It will be understood that the snap-on caps 30 and 58 are basicallysimilar in construction in that the outer marginal portion of each caphas flange means with tumed-in lip means and with the lip means lodgedin an assembling and keying groove. Then too, the cap 58 is alsoprovided on one side with slot means 68 which like the slot means 38 canbe lined up with the radial slot 9 in the aforementioned body to allowthe several slots 9, 34 and 68 to be lined up as shown in FIG. 4 and todisalign for line rotating purposes as shown with particularity in FIG.1.

It will be noted that the flanged portions 36 and 64 of the respectivetop and bottom caps 30 and 58 project outwardly beyond the peripheralsurface 10 of the body whereby the available surface 10 in conjunctionwith the overhanging caps provides a convenient spool on which the majorportion 53 of the aforementioned retrieving line can be wound and storedwhen not in use. This result is brought out in FIG. 2.

It will be evident that the use of rotating end caps with slots thereinand which slots cooperate with the slot 9 in the body provides a devicewhich facilitates attachment of said device to the fishing line fordescent purposes. When the caps are rotated to disalign the severalslots (FIG. 1), the device is not only attached to the fishing line butcan descend on the line. Then, by using the retrieving line and bouncingthe weighted device against the hook-equipped lure, the lure can beloosened, freed and retrieved.

It is reiterated that the over-all device after it is properly attachedto the line is allowed to run down the line until contact is made withthe lodged lure. The ball 24 will permit this movement since it will belifted by line friction into the enlarged upper portion of the taperedbore 20. At contact with the lure, both lines are slackened to permitthe shock to dislodge the lure. Intermittent bumping is permissible, asshould be evident in FIG. 1. Should dislodgment not occur, a slowtightening of the retrieving line will lock the ball or plug onto thelodged line, thus permitting the hooks to be pulled loose orstraightened and freed. Ultimately enough pressure can be applied topart the hooks, leaders, snaps or swivels and at the minimum can savethe leader above the retriever.

In summarizing the concept, it will be evident that the method and meansof retaining the ball or plug within the pocketed body is unique andalso the method of attachment of the retrieving line, that is, theseveral ways of accomplishing the result, is advantageous. The use ofmovable end caps to deny slot reentry to the snagged line issignificant. The fact that the flanged caps on the ends of the bodyfunction to provide a spool for retaining the wrapped retrieving line ina stored position is also a matter of importance.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A manually manipulatable dislodging and retrieving device for asnagged underwater lure comprising, a weighted body having an axial fishline accommodating bore opening through upper and lower ends of saidbody and having a fish line inserting and removing slot communicatingwith an oriented side of said bore and opening outwardly through aperipheral surface of said body, said body having top and bottom endportions, a manually grippable and turnable top end cap provided with aline passing and retaining slot cooperatively registrable with said bodyslot, a complemental manually grippable and turnable bottom end cap alsoprovided with a line passing and retaining slot cooperativelyregistrable with said body slot, a fish line binding and releasing balloperatively lodged and confined in said bore by said end caps, and meansembodied in said device for attaching a lower end of a retrieving lineto and for lifting and lowering said device, the top end portion of saidbody being provided in a peripheral surface with an assembling andkeying groove spaced from and parallel with said top end portion, saidtop end cap embodying a substantially annular portion having inner andouter marginal edges, said outer edge having a lateral depending flangeconstituting a rim and snugly but rotatingly surrounding said peripheralsurface, said rim-flange having a turned-in lip, said lip projectinginto and being retentively but rotatingly keyed in said assembling andkeying groove.

2. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in and according toclaim 1, and wherein the inner marginal edge is provided with a radiallug which is flush with said annular portion and embodies a head and areduced neck, said neck being integrally joined with said inner marginaledge, said head being aligned with and blocking an adjacent centralizedend portion of said bore in a manner to maintain said ball in a captivestate within the confines of said bore, said neck being such inlocaleand size that a lower end of a retrieving line can be hand-tiedand thus operatively attached thereto in a manner to facilitate loweringand subsequent lifting of said device.

3. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in and according toclaim 2, wherein said neck is provided with an optionally usable holewhich is designed and adapted to permit a lower end of the retrievingline to be threaded therethrough and formed into a line anchoring andretaining knot.

4. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in and according toclaim 2, and wherein said body is provided in one side with anaccessible hole which opens into said bore at an inner end and throughan exterior surface of the body at its outer end and which is designedand conveniently adapted to permit a lower end of said retrieving lineto be threaded therethrough and tied into a line anchoring and retainingknot.

5. A dislodging and retrieving device for an underwater fishing lurecomprising a weighted body of requisite heaviness and capable of readyattachment to and for sliding down a snagged fishing line, said bodyhaving an axial bore opening through top and bottom end portions of saidbody, said bore being conical and decreasing in diameter and taperingdownwardly, said body having a radial fishing line inserting andremoving slot communicating at an inner end with said bore and having anouter end opening through an outer peripheral surface of said body, afirst body encircling and keying groove formed in said peripheralsurface parallel with and spaced below the top end of said body, a topend snap-on plastic cap detachably mounted on the top end portion ofsaid body and having a depending resilient flange with a turned inlipportion keyed for rotation in said groove, a fishing line frictionbinding and releasing ball normally lodged but movable in the lower endof said bore, said top end cap having a line inserting and 6 freeingslot, registrable with said line inserting and removing slot, and meanson said cap overlying and blocking an upper end of the bore andfunctioning to maintain the ball in a captive but operable position insaid bore, a second encircling and keying groove formed in saidperipheral surface above the plane of the bottom end portion of saidbody, and a bottom end snap-on plastic cap similar to said top end capand having an upstanding resilient flange which likewise has a turned inlip portion keyed for rotation in said second groove, said last namedflange having a line inserting and freeing slot which is registrable atwill with said line inserting and removing .slot

6. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in and according toclaim 5, the flanges of said caps projecting beyond and overhanging theperipheral surface of said body, and that portion of said peripheralsurface which is located between the flanges of the respective capsbeing adapted to permit the major portion of the retrieving line to bewound and stored thereon when it is not being used.

7. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in and according toclaim 1, and wherein said bottom end cap is made of plastic material andis provided with a centralized opening of a diameter corresponding toand aligned with the diameter of a coacting lower end of said bore andis also provided with a lateral upstanding flange which constitutes arim, said rim snugly but yieldingly encompassing a limited peripheralsurface portion of said body, said limited surface portion beingprovided with an encircling and keying groove, said flange having aturned-in lip, and said lip projecting into and being retentively butrotatingly keyed in said last-named groove.

1. A manually manipulatable dislodging and retrieving device for asnagged underwater lure comprising, a weighted body having an axial fishline accommodating bore opening through upper and lower ends of saidbody and having a fish line inserting and removing slot communicatingwith an oriented side of said bore and opening outwardly through aperipheral surface of said body, said body having top and bottom endportions, a manually grippable and turnable top end cap provided with aline passing and retaining slot cooperatively registrable with said bodyslot, a complemental manually grippable and turnable bottom end cap alsoprovided with a line passing and retaining slot cooperativelyregistrable with said body slot, a fish line binding and releasing balloperatively lodged and confined in said bore by said end caps, and meansembodied in said device for attaching a lower end of a retrieving lineto and for lifting and lowering said device, the top end portion of saidbody being provided in a peripheral surface with an assembling andkeying groove spaced from and parallel with said top end portion, saidtop end cap embodying a substantially annular portion having inner andouter marginal edges, said outer edge having a lateral depending flangeconstituting a rim and snugly but rotatingly surrounding said peripheralsurface, said rim-flange having a turned-in lip, said lip projectinginto and being retentively but rotatingly keyed in said assembling andkeying groove.
 2. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in andaccording to claim 1, and wherein the inner marginal edge is providedwith a radial lug which is flush with said annular portion and embodiesa head and a reduced neck, said neck being integrally joined with saidinner marginal edge, said head being aligned with and blocking anadjacent centralized end portion of said bore in a manner to maintainsaid ball in a captive state within the confines of said bore, said neckbeing such in locale and size that a lower end of a retrieving line canbe hand-tied and thus operatively attached thereto in a manner tofacilitate lowering and subsequent lifting of said device.
 3. Thedislodging and retrieving device defined in and according to claim 2,wherein said neck is provided with an optionally usable hole which isdesigned and adapted to permit a lower end of the retrieving line to bethreaded therethrough and formed into a line anchoring and retainingknot.
 4. The dislodging and retrieving device defined in and accordingto claim 2, and wherein said body is provided in one side with anaccessible hole which opens into said bore at an inner end and throughan exterior surface of the body at its outer end and which is designedand conveNiently adapted to permit a lower end of said retrieving lineto be threaded therethrough and tied into a line anchoring and retainingknot.
 5. A dislodging and retrieving device for an underwater fishinglure comprising a weighted body of requisite heaviness and capable ofready attachment to and for sliding down a snagged fishing line, saidbody having an axial bore opening through top and bottom end portions ofsaid body, said bore being conical and decreasing in diameter andtapering downwardly, said body having a radial fishing line insertingand removing slot communicating at an inner end with said bore andhaving an outer end opening through an outer peripheral surface of saidbody, a first body encircling and keying groove formed in saidperipheral surface parallel with and spaced below the top end of saidbody, a top end snap-on plastic cap detachably mounted on the top endportion of said body and having a depending resilient flange with aturned in lip portion keyed for rotation in said groove, a fishing linefriction binding and releasing ball normally lodged but movable in thelower end of said bore, said top end cap having a line inserting andfreeing slot registrable with said line inserting and removing slot, andmeans on said cap overlying and blocking an upper end of the bore andfunctioning to maintain the ball in a captive but operable position insaid bore, a second encircling and keying groove formed in saidperipheral surface above the plane of the bottom end portion of saidbody, and a bottom end snap-on plastic cap similar to said top end capand having an upstanding resilient flange which likewise has a turned inlip portion keyed for rotation in said second groove, said last namedflange having a line inserting and freeing slot which is registrable atwill with said line inserting and removing slot.
 6. The dislodging andretrieving device defined in and according to claim 5, the flanges ofsaid caps projecting beyond and overhanging the peripheral surface ofsaid body, and that portion of said peripheral surface which is locatedbetween the flanges of the respective caps being adapted to permit themajor portion of the retrieving line to be wound and stored thereon whenit is not being used.
 7. The dislodging and retrieving device defined inand according to claim 1, and wherein said bottom end cap is made ofplastic material and is provided with a centralized opening of adiameter corresponding to and aligned with the diameter of a coactinglower end of said bore and is also provided with a lateral upstandingflange which constitutes a rim, said rim snugly but yieldinglyencompassing a limited peripheral surface portion of said body, saidlimited surface portion being provided with an encircling and keyinggroove, said flange having a turned-in lip, and said lip projecting intoand being retentively but rotatingly keyed in said last-named groove.